2D lamps and their applications

The uses of a 2D lamp

If you are lighting a corridor or tunnel then you do not have the wide range of choices for energy saving light bulbs that you have if you are lighting a conventional room. Most importantly you have to have light fittings which fit closely to the walls or ceilings from both a practicality and safety perspective. It might seem very grand to have an elaborate chandelier hanging from the ceiling and indeed in a hotel corridor that might well look very ornate, but this is generally not a very practical solution as people would walk straight into it! For the same reason then most pendant light fixtures are out of the question and the preferred choice is normally a compact light fixture which holds a 2D lamp. These 2D lamp light fixtures fit closely to the wall or ceiling so a compact light fitting is achieved which is highly practical. Now the use of the 2D lamp is far more widespread than for use in corridors and you can see them fitted in a whole range of  work areas, hotel staff areas, car parks, residential care homes, supermarkets and commercial buildings.

The energy saving 2D lamp

The standard 2D lamp uses the compact fluorescent lamp ( CFL) technology which means they are inherently energy saving light bulbs saving around 80% in electricity when compared to the standard incandescent light bulb. Additionally the CFL is long life typically with a rated life of around 10000 hours which is ten times that of a conventional filament bulb.  However the long life is generally essential in most 2D lamp applications because they are invariably on for long periods and sometimes 24 hours per day.

Sensor Controlled 2D lamps and Emergency 2D lamps

Where the 2D lamp is fitted in a commercial building then it is normally subject to regulations that stipulate that it must have a 4 hour emergency pack. This means that in the eventuality of a power failure then the 2D lamp must remain lit at a reduced light level for a minimum of 4 hours. To meet this criteria a range of emergency 2D compact lamp fittings are available on the market.

The other consideration for the 2D lamp is that they are often fitted in areas such as corridors which only have occasional use and for this reason are commonly controlled by movement sensors. This is a far more elegant solution than switch control as you would not want someone to be feeling around in the dark for a light switch in a dark corridor.

The 2D LED Lamp

 As the 2D lamp is often fitted in environments where long life and reliability is critical then the 2D LED is a good choice. Not only does the 2D LED have an extremely long life of typically 35000 hours  but it also only uses around half the electricity of its CFL equivalent.  The other key benefit of the 2D LED lamp is that it can be switched on and off repeatably without this affecting the lifespan unlike CFL energy saving light bulbs which invariably has a far reduced life span when used with a sensor control. For a combination of  these reasons then the 2D LED is now being used more and more in these commercial applications.